


Of Remorse, Rescue, and Repentance

by Emachinescat



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: AU Episode Tag, Episode: s05e08 The Hollow Queen, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-27
Updated: 2013-02-26
Packaged: 2018-01-13 18:28:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1236601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emachinescat/pseuds/Emachinescat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU tag to "The Hollow Queen." Merlin's dying and a desperate Daegol doesn't know how to save him. The only person he can think of that can help is back in Camelot, but if Morgana finds Daegol trying to slip back into the city, she'll surely kill him. How far is Daegol prepared to go to save Merlin, and will he be able to get help before it's too late? 5x08</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Remorse

**Author's Note:**

> Don't own, for entertainment purposes only.
> 
> Enjoy. :)

"Make sure you tell no one of this – you forget I still have a few drops left," Morgana warned, and then she turned and faded into the forest.

Daegol stood at the lip of the ravine, stunned. He peered over the edge and his stomach clenched at the roughly seven-foot drop in front of him. Lying awkwardly on the grass at the bottom of the ridge was Merlin, unconscious. Daegol couldn't see the older boy in great detail from this height, but it was obvious that Merlin wasn't doing well.

Appalled by the idea of the man that had been so ridiculously kind to him all day dying alone in the middle of a bandit-ridden forest, Daegol jumped into action. Bracing himself for a difficult descent, he began to slowly lower himself down the miniature cliff-side, being careful not to slip up on the slick tufts of grass that stuck out from the dirt. He was sure that if he were to make his way around and through the forest a bit, he would find a safer and easier path to the bottom, but Daegol couldn't take that long. He needed to get to Merlin  _now_.

A couple of long minutes later, Daegol was at the bottom of the ravine, stumbling to Merlin's side. His eyes widened as he took in Merlin's appearance: the man had just been given the poison ten minutes ago, and already his skin was pale. Black goo tinted the inside of his slightly parted lips and he was breathing a little heavily. And that wasn't even counting the injuries he had sustained after being thrown from the top of the hill. There was a cut on Merlin's head, just at his hairline, and although it wasn't gushing blood, it still looked pretty nasty. Daegol let his eyes travel down Merlin's body, and his eyes narrowed when he saw that Merlin's pants leg was ripped and that there was blood glistening on his skin under the clothing.

Daegol fought back nausea at the sight of the wound – and at the thought that  _he_  had caused this – and staggered to his feet.  _I should get him some water,_  the boy thought.  _It's the least I can do._

 _Yeah,_ a nasty little voice agreed in the back of his mind.  _It_ is _the least you can do._

Daegol shook his head and cast one last worried look at Merlin before hurrying back toward the slope – he'd left the water skin at the top! Even as he began to struggle to climb the steep and slippery slope, he knew that the voice was right. After what he'd done, getting Merlin a drink of water was worth nothing.

Still, he had to do something.

* * *

Merlin was ushered back into the realm of consciousness by a great wave of pain. Everything  _hurt_. His stomach was churning and his head was swimming. And his leg… Why did it feel like his leg had caught on fire? Oh, gods. Had he actually managed to somehow light his leg on fire?

Merlin managed to push his body up just enough to see that no, his leg was  _not_  on fire, but upon further inspection, he realized that he had a rather big gash adorning the side of his leg. Only half aware of what he was doing, Merlin tried to reach for the wound, but the effort proved to be too much for his body. He tried doing magic, but his magic wouldn't respond. Fear clawed at him, and he flopped back down and coughed, bile in his throat.

What had happened? He coughed again, and his body was wracked with a pain so intense that he almost blacked out. He managed to spit out the bile that had risen before laying his head back down, and then he went back to trying to remember what had happened.

Daegol. That boy had betrayed him. Merlin felt an ache in his chest that had nothing to do with the poison coursing through his veins. Even as the emotions washed over Merlin, so did unconsciousness, and by the time the guilty Daegol was back with the water skin, Merlin was unconscious once more.

* * *

Daegol made it back down the steep hill, this time with the water skin in hand, and made his way back to Merlin, who was still sleeping. He must have woken up in the ten minutes or so that Daegol was gone, however, because there was now sick crusted on the servant's pallid face. Daegol shook Merlin, trying to rouse him, but it was no use. Merlin didn't stir. Inspiration struck the boy, and he opened the water skin. He poured the water on Merlin's mouth, and finally the man's eyes opened slowly, his lips moving sluggishly at the refreshing water.

When Merlin was able to focus a bit, his glazed eyes landed on Daegol. Hurt frothed in his eyes as he struggled to speak. "You… You came back. Why?" His voice was harsh, strained, and ragged and Daegol cringed.

"I couldn't leave you to die," Daegol said simply, once again ignoring the voice that told him that all this was his fault in the first place.

Merlin coughed, retched, and spit. "Too late," he gasped, flopping his head back.

Desperation filled Daegol. He had to right this wrong. He couldn't let the man who had been so nice to him die like this. "No, I can help. You're a physician; you tell me what to do," he pleaded.

He saw the frustration in Merlin's ashen face. "There is  _nothing_ you can do!"

"There must be a cure. Tell me the herbs and I'll find them; come on, what do you need?" Daegol urged.

He saw a tiny bit of hope kindle in Merlin's unfocused eyes and knew when the man was going to comply. "I don't know… how to stop… the poison," Merlin gasped painfully, "…but I know of… some herbs that might… slow down… its effects so that help… can come…"

"Help?" Daegol asked. "I don't know anyone who can help! Can't you just think of a cure?"

"I. Don't. Know." Merlin could barely force the words out of his mouth at this point. "But rue… and milfoil… ground into… tincture… might slow down poison… for a while…"

He passed out.

Daegol swallowed hard. Merlin was going to die unless he got help, and the only place that Daegol could think of that might be able to give said help was Camelot, and it was nearly a half a day away, not to mention if Morgana caught him anywhere near the citadel, she would surely kill him. Her warning echoed once more in his mind, but Daegol couldn't help the pang of terrible guilt that he felt as he looked once more upon Merlin's prone form. He could not,  _would not_  allow the first person in over ten years to treat him with kindness  _die_  because Daegol had led him into a trap for money.

He would collect the herbs, grind them, and give the medicine to Merlin. And then he would tend to Merlin's leg as best he could, and leave for Camelot directly after. He would redeem himself and rescue Merlin from the jaws of death, or he would die trying.

Even if all the odds were against him, Daegol was finally going to do something good in his life.

Without glancing back, he ducked into the trees and began to hunt for the herbs. "Don't worry Merlin," he said to the air as his eyes scanned the ground for yellow flowers and feathery leaves. "I'm going to make this up to you, I promise."


	2. Rescue

It took Daegal much too long to make it back into Camelot's borders. He had moved as quickly as possible, but he had had to stop and hide several times when he heard rustling in the foliage around him. It could have been something harmless like a rabbit, or something not so harmless, like Morgana, and Daegal couldn't take the chance of getting caught. He had failed Merlin, and Merlin couldn't afford for Daegal to be caught and killed now. Daegal knew that he had to get to Camelot as soon as possible to get help, or Merlin would die. He supposed that it was actually kind of a good thing that Morgana had wanted a drawn out, painful death for Merlin, because even though it meant that Merlin was in agony, he had time before he died, which meant that Daegal might be able to save him.

He was actually quite surprised that he had actually made it back into the city without being caught by Morgana or one of her minions. She had people patrolling the area, but Daegal had spent almost his entire life sneaking around for one reason or another, so he was able to evade any would-be adversaries with relative ease. By the time that he reached Camelot's borders, night had fallen, and Daegal's mind wandered back to Merlin, who was alone in the forest in the dark. The boy suddenly wondered what would happen if a wild animal or a bandit happened upon the other man. Daegal knew that there was no way Merlin could defend himself against a butterfly at this point, let alone an actually dangerous foe. He needed to get in, find help, and get out – fast.

He was able to make it past the guards without injuring himself this time, and it didn't take him long to find the physician's chambers. He stopped at the door, briefly wondering if he was making the right decision in going to Gaius for help. He had betrayed the man's ward, but now he was trying to right his wrong, so maybe the man wouldn't be  _too_  terribly angry with him. At any rate, Daegal knew that he had no choice, no matter the consequences. He knocked softly on the door, and when there was no immediate answer, he knocked louder.

A few moments later, his efforts were rewarded as the door swung open, revealing the haggard face of an old man. The physician regarded his late-night visitor for a moment, and it took everything that Daegal had to hold the man's lopsided gaze. Finally, Gaius released him from his stare and asked, "Who are you?"

"I—I'm Daegal, sir. And I've made a mistake."

Gaius narrowed his eyes. "And why are you coming to me about it, boy?"

"Um, because, well…" he hesitated, suddenly terrified of the elderly man.

"Spit it out!" Gaius ordered, and Daegal hastened to obey.

"It's Merlin," Daegal said mournfully. "He's in trouble – and it's bad."

* * *

Merlin was freezing. When the sun had sunk and the night chill had settled over him, the young warlock had first hoped that the cold air might help numb some of the gut-wrenching pain that was assailing his body in every conscious moment. It hadn't. The pain was so deep, so raw, that nothing could even put a dent in his agony. And there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't even scream, because his voice had left him long ago.

Merlin's breathing was horribly ragged, and he no longer even had the strength to turn over if his stomach rebelled again. Thankfully, the nausea had seemed to have passed, but it had quickly been replaced by the feeling that he had been stabbed in the gut repeatedly with a fiery blade. Still, Merlin hadn't thrown up again, which was a good thing, considering he might choke to death if he did so again. He had no strength left in his body.

Daegal had left him hours ago, and there had been no sign of him since. Merlin knew that he was going to die out here, alone and cold, and Arthur would have no one to protect him, and Albion's future, everything they had worked so hard for, for so many years, would be destroyed.

Merlin wondered if Daegal had been caught. If the boy was even still alive.

The fog that had taken over his mind on and off through his entire ordeal began to return, and Merlin found that he was glad to have unconsciousness return to him, for when he was in its grasp, the pain was slightly dulled. Maybe this time, he would die, and he would be fully relieved of his pain. Wait, no. He didn't want to die, did he? No… he had to stay alive. For Arthur.

He passed out.

* * *

When Gaius heard the full story from Daegal, he was furious. The thought of Merlin having been deceived like that was bad enough. Merlin was a kind man by nature, although the years of fighting Camelot's enemies had hardened him some. He wanted to help people, and his compassion had been his downfall.

Gaius didn't take any time to lecture the boy, or try and throttle him (like he really felt like doing at this point), however, because he was so focused on getting everything that he needed together for the journey. Based on Daegal's description of the poison that Morgana had used on Merlin, he knew the herbs he needed, but he decided to take anything that might be of use should his assumption be wrong, for he was going to take absolutely no chances when treating the young man who was like a son.

He sent Daegal away with directions to Sir Gwaine's chambers and orders to ask the knight to come to Gaius's chambers immediately. He had then hastened to Arthur's chambers, knowing that Arthur needed to know about the threat to his life that his guests presented. Daegal had told him everything that he knew about Morgana and the queen's plans. Gaius hoped that he could get in and wake Arthur without the enchanted Guinevere waking and attempting to stop him. Thankfully, the queen was sleeping peacefully, and Gaius managed to wake Arthur, ask to speak to him alone, and escort him into the empty council chambers.

"Gaius," Arthur said, stifling a yawn. "What is this about? And why can't my own wife know about it?"

Gaius had considered this line of questioning on his way to Arthur's chambers, knowing that the king would want to include Guinevere. He hoped that the reason he had come up with would suffice, or the situation would get even more sticky, and that was something that Merlin, if he were even still alive, could not afford. "I'm sorry, Sire, but this is top secret, and if the queen were to have knowledge of this plot that has been revealed, she would be in grave danger. You must not tell anyone."

Arthur accepted this explanation, and Gaius told him a slightly modified version of Daegal's story, leaving out Guinevere's involvement. Arthur's eyes widened throughout this tale, and when Gaius had finished, the king asked, "And you are sure these claims are true? The Sarem is not to be trusted, by any means, but he has spies on the inside, and assassins who plan to kill me?"

Gaius nodded seriously. "I am afraid this is true, Sire."

"And Merlin?"

"Yes, I fear that he, too, is in grave danger. I have sent for Sir Gwaine, in the hopes that he might be able to accompany me to where Merlin is, for the Valley of the Fallen Kings is no place for an old man and a sick man to be without protection."

Arthur stepped forward. "Better yet, I will accompany you, too."

"No, Sire," Gaius protested. "I do not think that that would be wise. You have to deal with the Sarem's betrayal. If I can have Sir Gwaine, and possibly one other knight to accompany me, then I will be satisfied. Also, my informant will be in peril, seeing as he risked much to betray Morgana and tell me of her plans. As much as I resent the boy for his part in this, he is just a boy, and he may be able to take the right path after this. He needs protection, in the castle, My Lord, if you will allow it."

Arthur inclined his head in agreement. "Consider it done. I will call a meeting with the Council, but don't worry – I will not wake Guinevere, for you are right – she does not need to be subjected to this danger. We will decide what to do about our guest immediately. As for your journey, take Sirs Gwaine and Percival with you, and if you need anything else, please do not hesitate to ask."

Gaius smiled grimly. "All I desire is permission to leave at once, and your safety, Sire. Please be wary."

"I shall. And you may go." Arthur's hardened eyes softened for a moment, as did his voice. "And Gaius… bring Merlin back alive, please? I… really don't think I can stand another day of Guinevere's dressing me."

Gaius instantly saw past the last remark. Arthur's concern was evident in his eyes. Gaius knew that the king wanted more than anything to go with Gaius and the knights to Merlin's side, but the situation Camelot was in was precarious, to say the least, and the city could not afford to have their king absent at a time like this.

"Thank you, Sire. I will fetch Sir Percival, and retrieve Sir Gwaine from my chambers, and we will leave at once. I will give Merlin your regards."

"Please do," said Arthur. "Bring him home, Gaius."

"I promise," Gaius said, all the while hoping that he would be able to keep his promise.  _Merlin, hold on, my boy. Just a little bit longer, and you'll be all right._

* * *

Gwaine and Percival had been more than eager to escort Gaius. Both men – Gwaine especially – were friends of Merlin, and they wanted to do everything that they could to save him. Gaius had been given directions to where Merlin was by Daegal, and so the trio had set out immediately, each one hoping vigorously that they would be returning to Camelot as a foursome.

They rode horses, which greatly reduced the travel time, and by the time that they reached the Valley, dawn had barely begun. Thankfully, they had not run into any bandits or minions of Morgana's, and within five hours of Daegal's arrival at Gaius's chambers, the physician and knights stood by Merlin's still form, horrified at the state of the young man that had a special place in each of their hearts.

"Hell," Gwaine cursed. "Is he even alive?"

Gaius, kneeling beside Merlin and feeling for a pulse, nodded slowly. "Yes, he is alive, but only just. He is barely breathing." He tried to look at Merlin as if he were examining just another patient, but the paleness of Merlin's skin and the labored breathing tore at his heart. "It seems I was right about the poison used; his symptoms are all consistent with what I thought. I have the herbs needed for the antidote right here, and it will only take a few minutes to prepare it. While I do that, Gwaine, will you and Percival see to his wounds? His leg needs to be bandaged, and quickly – he's lost a lot of blood. The head wound is worrying as well, and it needs to be cleaned and bandaged. I have bandages in my bag, and there are water skins in there as well."

Gwaine and Percival quickly set to work, as did Gaius. The old man focused all of his attention on grinding the herbs into a tincture, although he couldn't help but glance worriedly at Merlin a couple of times while he worked. Everything about this was utterly  _wrong_.

Gwaine had just finished binding the cut on Merlin's leg when the sound of a twig snapping rent the relative silence. Percival, who had finished with Merlin's head a little while ago and had been standing guard near the horses, hefted his sword, ready for a fight if needs be. Gwaine quickly joined him, telling Gaius to keep working and they would handle whatever was out there.

Both men slunk through the trees like shadows, determined to meet the threat before it could get anywhere near Merlin and Gaius. How Merlin had remained unseen by the bandits and wild beasts that roamed these parts was beyond the knights, but now that there was something out there, both men knew that they would do whatever it took to keep Merlin safe.

* * *

Gaius was kneeling by Merlin, preparing to administer the medicine, when the sounds of a scuffle began to sound from the trees above. Gaius hoped fervently that there were not many bandits, because even though Gwaine and Percival were more than capable of defending their charges, even two men with their strength, stamina, and courage could not defeat an enormous number of foes. Gaius briefly wished that he had asked Arthur for more men, but he had been counting on stealth to get them through the forest and to Merlin.

Gaius turned his thoughts away from the fight going on above him and used smelling salts to rouse Merlin, whose eyes barely cracked open.

His mouth opened, but no sound came out, and Gaius wasn't even sure if the boy even recognized him at all. Gaius fought back tears as the sound of swords clanking and men yelling continued in the background. The physician felt as if his heart was breaking, and seeing the unparalleled agony in Merlin's blue eyes was more than he could bear. But he had to bear it, for Merlin, whether he knew it or not at this point, was counting on him to be strong and save him.

Gaius managed to get the medicine down Merlin's throat, but his relief at having given his ward the cure was short lived as Merlin jerked, grasped Gaius's hand with a sudden burst of strength, and started seizing violently.

"Merlin!" Gaius croaked, doing his best to hold the young man still, but Merlin's spasms only got worse.

"Gaius?"

Gaius looked up, eyes wide and terrified, when he saw that Gwaine and Percival had returned, looking battle-worn but eager to help. "There were only ten men," Gwaine explained quickly, even as he and Percival rushed to Gaius's aid and tried to help still Merlin's tremors. "We took them easily. But there are reinforcements on the way, so we need to get out of here as soon as possible. What's wrong with Merlin? Did you give him the cure?"

"Yes," Gaius said frantically, "but he was so far gone by the time we got to him, I'm not even sure that it will work!"

"He'll be okay," Percival said optimistically, but his grim eyes showed his doubt.

Finally, Merlin was still and quiet once more, and although his chest was barely moving, he was still alive.

"We should get him back to Camelot as quickly as we can," Gaius said as Percival gently lifted the servant and carried him toward the horses.

The sound of horse's hooves and angry battle cries echoed from the woods up above, and the three men looked at each other, wide-eyed.

"Yeah," Gwaine agreed, mounting his horse and allowing Percival to position Merlin as comfortably and carefully as possible in front of him. The long haired knight glanced up to where the sound of the reinforcements was coming from and asserted, "It's time to go."


	3. Repentance

Morgana must have been occupied elsewhere, Gaius decided, because otherwise, he, Merlin, Gwaine, and Percival would not have made it back to Camelot so easily without meeting her. He had a feeling that the lack of the dark sorceress had less to do with luck on the travelers' part, and more to do with the chaos that had more than likely gone on in the castle following the company's departure.

Since Arthur had been made aware that the Sarem was a traitor, Gaius knew that he had been true to his word and immediately gathered his council, save for Guinevere, to him in order to decide the best way to deal with his attempted assassination plot. Gaius also knew that the enchanted Gwen was crafty – perhaps almost as crafty as her corrupted counterpart, Morgana – and that despite Arthur's best attempts to keep his knowledge of the discovered plot secret from his wife for her "protection," Gwen would have found out about it fairly quickly, and would have somehow arranged a meeting with Morgana to tell the witch of their failure. Gaius wasn't worried that the plot would continue or reconvene, however, because Arthur would have dealt with the Sarem quickly, efficiently, and firmly before the brainwashed queen could do anything to change it. Morgana must have been meeting with her makeshift ally, and regrouping her forces in order to deal with yet another failure.

This certainly seemed to be the case when they reached Camelot. Gaius and the two knights, with Merlin hanging limply in front of Gwaine on the man's horse, noticed immediately that the lower town was buzzing with excitement, even more so than usual. Gwaine was carrying Merlin on his horse because the long-haired knight had claimed that Merlin was his friend long before he was Percival's, and there was no way that Percival was going to get to do all of the Merlin-carrying in this relationship. This declaration had been made quietly about halfway into their journey to Camelot, much to the amusement of his companions, who each believed that Gwaine was acting very much like a jealous woman flying into a passion about her beloved being in another's presence, although they had the presence of mind not to direct this idea to the now satisfied knight.

They quickly dismounted, leaving their horses and a few gold coins with a beaming stable boy, and, with Merlin now in Gwaine's arms, they began to hasten past the murmuring crowds and toward the castle. Merlin's breathing had been improving steadily since Gaius had given him the cure, which Gaius knew meant that his ward would soon recover, but he still needed to be back in the physician's chambers, in a warm bed, and to be looked after with the utmost care if he were to make a full recovery. He had been inches away from death, and Gaius was going to make sure that he was given everything in Gaius's meager power to give in order for him to recover completely, and that meant he needed to be properly treated as soon as possible.

The first thing that Gaius saw upon entering the courtyard was a brooding queen standing silently at the top of the stairs and to the side of the main doors, her radiant beauty marred considerably by Gaius's knowledge of her part in the near-death of the two most important men in Camelot, and the most important man in Gaius's heart, the man who was like his son. Gwen was glancing around moodily, indicating that something was deeply troubling her, and also confirming that Gaius's suspicions about why the rest of their trip had been so easy. When she caught sight of Gaius, the knights, and Merlin, her eyes narrowed, but then, upon seeing Gwaine's eyebrows furrow slightly at her dark countenance, she seamlessly slipped into the guise of the saintly, caring queen. She smiled warmly at the newcomers – though Gaius could see straight through it by now – and headed their way.

Not wanting the contaminated queen to be anywhere near Merlin, Gaius quietly requested that Gwaine and Percival go ahead with Merlin to the chambers, and make the poor boy comfortable, and Gaius himself would be along shortly after he checked in with the queen. Eager to help their fallen friend, both men hurried off after bowing slightly in the direction of the approaching Guinevere, and the it was just Gaius and Guinevere. There was plenty of bustling about by others in the courtyard around them, of course, but Gaius could see nothing but the traitorous royal. He knew that it wasn't her fault – not really, since she had been enchanted by Morgana – but it still hurt – deeply – that she had nearly killed her husband and Merlin through her actions and alliance with Morgana.

"Gaius," she said kindly, keeping up the pretense just in case, he assumed, that he  _didn't_  know about the part she had played, and also to keep up appearances for the others in the yard, "what happened? Is Merlin okay?"

Gaius fought the rare surge of rage that was trying its hardest to burst forth from his old, aching heart and answered, "He has been gravely injured after an unfortunate run-in with some bandits." He decided not to mention Morgana so that Gwen might still believe that he was ignorant of her ways, if she even believed that now. "He should, in time, make a full recovery, though."

The flash of anger in Gwen's dark eyes was so slight and disappeared so quickly that if Gaius hadn't been expecting it, he wouldn't have seen it at all. "Oh, that's wonderful that he'll be all right!" Gwen cooed. "And it's horrible that  _anyone_  would be so cruel as to hurt such an innocent soul as Merlin!"

Gaius's hands were shaking slightly, and for the first time in over twenty years, he felt the magic within him rise vindictively due to the anger he felt at Guinevere's awful betrayal and the cruelty with which she played it off, but he scolded himself mentally and responded with nothing more than a curt, "Indeed." He held Gwen's gaze, and to his immense satisfaction, she seemed to be no longer capable of holding it, and she dropped her eyes slightly. Slightly emboldened, Gaius attempted to soften his voice and asked, "What is going on here, my lady?"

Gwen scowled for a split second, but she used anger at the Sarem's betrayal of her husband as an excuse for her frustration. "Arthur called the council together early this morning. He somehow gained intelligence that the Sarem was planning to assassinate him today. And so they quickly devised a plan. Arthur, along with his most trusted of knights, burst into the Sarem's chambers in the small hours of the morning. From what I was able to discover, my the king held his sword to the traitor's throat and questioned him mercilessly, and threatened him so terribly, that the man finally relented. Arthur had his knights produce a scroll that they had put together earlier. On it was an apparently disturbingly detailed description of everything that they would do to the Sarem and his men, rich and powerful or not, if they  _ever_  dared to show their faces in Camelot again. It also had other legal matters on it, and the Sarem signed it, lest he suffer unimaginably for his treachery. He and his people were then immediately tossed out of the castle and sent on their way without a shred of dignity left, with Arthur's promise that they if any of them, or anyone associated with them, ever so much as slip  _one_  toe into Camelot, they'd be dead." Gwen said all of this with a resigned, automatic air, and despite the forced softness in her voice, Gaius could tell that she was thoroughly flustered and disappointed by this turn of events.

"Oh my," said Gaius. "I am very glad the king was able to put a stop to the assassination before it happened, and that he was able to still have his treaty signed and the assassin punished as well. He truly is a wise king that looks out for the good of his people, my lady. You are lucky to have such a wise man, not only as your king, but as your husband as well."

Gwen looked at Gaius and smiled, but this time, she wasn't able to completely disguise her distaste for his words. "Indeed I am, Gaius. Thank you." Without another utterance, the enchanted queen of Camelot strode away, doubtlessly to begin devising other plans of her husband's destruction.

* * *

Arthur didn't make it to Gaius's chambers until nearly midnight. Upon entering the physician's quarters, he seemed to be utterly exhausted but much more at peace than he had been when Gaius had seen him last. Still, there was a worried gleam in his eyes, and the physician knew that the king would not be satisfied in the slightest until he saw that his servant and friend was truly on the path to recovering from his harrowing ordeal.

"Gaius," said the king warmly, clasping his old friend kindly on the stooped shoulder. "I am sorry for coming so late. I hope I didn't wake you?"

Gaius smiled compassionately. Arthur had come as soon as he could, and Gaius knew that there was no way he was willing to wait until more proper hours to check on his friend. That just wouldn't do at all. "No, Sire. If Merlin requires me, I am determined to be readily available by his side at a moment's notice. And I honestly do not think that I could sleep as it is, Sire, with all the excitement that has passed."

"I would imagine not," Arthur said, and Gaius noticed with amusement that the prince's eyes strayed distractedly to the slightly cracked open door to Merlin's bedroom. He tore his eyes away from the room in which his servant was sleeping and reluctantly turned his attention back to Gaius. "And I want to thank you again, Gaius, for putting yourself in danger in order to reveal to me the betrayal of the Sarem. And as you requested, I have not told a soul that it was you who revealed the plot to me, though why you do not wish to be rewarded for such an act of bravery is still beyond me."

"I am an old man, my lord. I do not wish to be regaled as any sort of hero; I simply want to live in peace and be nothing more than the strange old physician who houses the even stranger servant of our king. Is that too much for an old, tired man like me to ask?"

Arthur chuckled. "Certainly not, Gaius. I also want to let you know that the boy, Daegal, has been taken care of under house arrest until  _you_  decide what to do with him, for I agree that he is young and that he can be led to a better life if given a chance. I am giving his wellbeing over to you, if you don't mind, and hopefully you will be able to find someone to continue to help him find his way. I'll have him brought to your chambers tomorrow morning, and when you have an idea, simply let me know, and my resources will be at your disposal to find him a good home." Gaius nodded, but Arthur wasn't quite finished "And thank you, as well, for taking care of Merlin, as I knew you would. And for getting him back safely. I feared—" He broke off, suddenly looking very self-conscious, and Gaius dipped his head slightly in understanding.

"So did I, Sire, but I assure you, he will be all right in a week or so. Speaking of the boy, I suppose you didn't just come to chat with me, did you, Sire? Merlin is sleeping at the moment, but he has been waking periodically, and I am sure he would be glad to see you next time he wakes, if you wish to stay for a while."

Arthur glanced at the door and nodded, not even attempting to come up with a sarcastic remark about how he didn't have anything better to do, or how Merlin was lazy for not being awake and alert to his master's beck and call, which really served to show Gaius yet again what had been at stake this time, and that the king fully understood what a true friend they had almost lost. Gaius knowingly went back to his business, smiling to himself, as Arthur mounted the few stairs to Merlin's room, ready to be there for his friend the moment he woke up again.

* * *

When Merlin opened his eyes, his vision was so blurry that he couldn't tell at first if he was looking at a person hovering over him, or a very large bee with bright blue eyes. He blinked, and the movement took so much energy from his drained body that he almost didn't open them back up again until he heard an all-too-familiar voice intone, " _Mer_ lin. Wake up, will you? It's been nearly an hour and you are  _terrible_ company." Merlin blinked again, but felt his eyes sliding shut again. "Merlin," said Arthur's voice, this time much softer than before. "Open your eyes. Come on, you've slept long enough."

At the strange, worried tone in his master's voice, Merlin finally obliged, opening his eyes for good. Slowly, his vision cleared, and he saw King Arthur leaning over him expectantly, his eyes brimming with badly concealed worry. "Arthur?" Merlin tried to say, but only ended up whispering it in a ragged croak. Arthur gave him some water from the end table, which helped sooth Merlin's throat a little, but he still didn't have the strength to talk. So for once, he was quiet and let Arthur do the talking.

"No, Merlin, shut up – Gaius said you're not to talk. Merlin, you almost  _died_. You  _idiot_ , what were you _thinking_? Going to heal an imaginary girl is all very noble and all, but haven't you learned by now that you can't trust just anyone? And either way, you should have come to  _me_  first. It's how these things work, you know – I'm your master, and you're supposed to tell me before you go off to your death, you know." Merlin smirked slightly, and Arthur chortled weakly, but then he dropped his head in his hands and muttered, "You're too kind for your own good, Merlin. You've got to start thinking of yourself first – except," he amended, apparently seeing the mischievous gleam that was starting to appear in his servant's eyes, "when I am involved of course." Had Merlin been able to talk, he would have been making a snarky comment about how he would make sure to put himself first at all times, and next time that Arthur ordered him to do some demeaning chore, he would think of himself first, and then decide that it was not in his best interests to perform that task. Even when Merlin couldn't talk, however, Arthur was able to see right through him.

"I mean it, Merlin. You are a true friend, and a loyal servant. I wouldn't quite know what to do if you… well," he broke off awkwardly, his face coloring slightly.

Merlin wanted to assure him that he would always be around, and that he wouldn't leave Arthur's side for the world, but Arthur wouldn't even let him try to say a word. Instead, he leaned forward, ruffled Merlin's hair, causing the latter to weakly try to squirm away indignantly. Arthur laughed and then stood, yawning. "I'd stay longer, Merlin, but I've had to deal with an attempted assassination – I'll tell you about it later, I promise – but as for now, I'm going to bed. And don't you  _dare_  to set foot in my chambers for at  _least_  a week, or even longer, if Gaius says you need longer to heal. Understood?"

Merlin rolled his eyes as best he could with the impending sleepiness descending upon him again, but he managed to nod slightly as he began to drift off. The last thing he saw before he slipped into sleep was a relieved and contented smile spread over Arthur's face when he thought Merlin wasn't looking. Merlin fell asleep feeling more protected than he had in a long time. Despite the bitter betrayals of Morgana and her puppet, Merlin felt secure in the knowledge that he would always have Arthur and Gaius looking out for him, no matter what.

* * *

The next time Merlin woke up, light was streaming through his window, and it wasn't Arthur that was sitting next to him, but a dark-haired, dark-eyed boy that he didn't recognize at first. Then it hit him – Daegal.

 _Daegal?_ he mouthed, miffed that he still didn't have the strength to speak. Daegal smiled sympathetically, but held up a hand to silence him. "Don't talk," he said. "You're too weak."

Merlin rolled his eyes, wanting to remind Daegal that he had indeed been the one poisoned, and so he did actually know how weak he was at the moment, but, because of said weakness, he couldn't, so he just had to lie back once again and be the listener rather than the speaker. Merlin  _really_  didn't know how he felt about this complete change of pace, to be perfectly honest.

Daegal took a deep breath, scratched the back of his neck, blew a strand of hair out of his forehead, and then finally said, "I want to say, first of all, Merlin… I'm sorry. Gods, I'm  _so_  sorry for what I did to you. You showed me nothing but kindness, and I still betrayed you. You almost died."

Merlin opened his mouth to try and tell Daegal that he forgave him, that the boy had done more than enough to show that he was repentant – he had saved Merlin's life, after all – but Daegal shook his head.

"Please. I need to say this." Merlin pursed his lips, and then nodded, understanding all too well the kinds of emotions that were going through his young savior at this very moment. "I was misguided, I know, but still, I betrayed a friend for money, and for that I am deeply ashamed. I only hope that you will one day be able to forgive me, and maybe even think upon me as a friend. You are a good – no, a great! – man, Merlin, and I swear to you, I will never allow myself to forget what I did to you, and this kind of betrayal will never happen again by my doing, not to you or to anyone else in my life. I promise.

"But I want you to know that I'm starting over. I've been alone all my life, like I told you, and I've had a hard time of it. That's no excuse for what I did to you, but thanks to your kindness, and the king's, and Gaius's, I'm going to be able to start over! Gaius knows some kind people that are actually willing to take me in! I'm going to work for them, and they are going to treat me like a member of their family, and I will finally know what it's like to—"

He broke off. "But it's not about me. It's about you. And what you've done for me. You showed me that kindness still exists in a world gone mad, when even the most trustworthy people turn their backs. You proved that there will always be someone worth trusting, even if you have to learn the hard way. And thanks for that."

He beamed warmly at Merlin, reached out almost hesitantly and squeezed the young warlock's limp hand, and then, nodding once more in thanks, bowed out of the room. Merlin smiled after him, noting the change that had overcome the boy. He had truly reformed, and his repentance had made him so much the better.

Merlin grinned weakly at Gaius as the old man appeared at his doorway, his eyes smiling with pride. "Don't worry, my boy," the physician said as he saw his charge's eyes begin to droop in exhaustion. "This will be over soon, and you will be fine."

"I know," Merlin murmured, stealing one last glance toward the main chambers that Daegal had disappeared into. With a look of contentment on his face, he added, "Thanks to you, we'll both be fine."

And he dropped into the deepest and most rested sleep he'd had in days.


End file.
